Fraser picnic a celebration of community

Dorothea and Norman Rafinski had their traditional front-row seats to the parade held Sunday afternoon in Fraser that kicked off the annual city picnic and Lions Carnival, both at Steffens Park behind City Hall.

Placing their lawn seats strategically in the shade on Garfield Road near City Hall, the couple said the procession is a summertime tradition for them, but this year was special because their daughter Karen Silverthorn was part of the parade’s grand marshal, the Fraser First Booster Club.

“We are Fraser people,” Dorothea Rafinski said.

Residents of Fraser for 56 years, the Rafinskis said Fraser’s parade is like a snapshot of the community: It includes first responders, elected officials, scouts, high school marching bands, dance troupes and many of the area’s businesses.

Advertisement

“It’s a very nice parade,” Norman Rafinski, 82, a Korean War Marines veteran. “It’s always nice. That’s one of the reasons we come down here every year.”

Their comments echo Fraser Mayor Doug Hagerty’s observation that the parade -- and picnic -- serve as a “hometown festival,” or celebration of the 4-square-mile city with a population of about 14,500.

Fifty-eight groups and individuals took part in this year’s parade, a slight increase over the 55 units from the year before, according to organizer Christina Woods, the city’s parks and recreation director.

An estimated 5,000 people lined Garfield Road to watch the participants proceed from Fraser High School to City Hall on a warm, humid afternoon. Several participants sought out shade and cold water as soon as they completed the route.

Bieda, taking part in his third Fraser parade, said he was impressed with the “very enthusiastic” response the parade received from the spectators.

“This really is part of Americana, just a truly warm community,” Bieda said.

Bieda, a Democrat from Warren, offered a bit of advice to parade supervisors for next year.

“Maybe they could put a big pool at the end that we all could jump in and cool off,” he said, half jokingly.

After the parade, the crowd drifted to Steffens Park to the picnic area and the final day of the Lions Carnival. At dusk, about 25,000 spectators were expected to be on hand in the park and surrounding neighborhoods for a spectacular fireworks display.”